InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Wilmar through PT Mentaya Sawit Mas and PT Karunia Kencana Permai in Central Kalimantan Province multiplied the conservation area function to be education forest for the primary and junior high students around the companies operate. The conservation forests that lay about 5.173 hectares have plantations and wild, such as, orangutan Kalimantan (Pongo pygmaeues), kelasi (Presbytis rubicunda), and owa ungko (Hylobates albibarbis).
The company develop sekolah alam since last year by developing jungle trekking (path for hiking in the forests). In a 750 meter – path, there are kinds of posters and information boards that describe the status of the wild and plantations.
“The program would deliver kinds of experience in person when walking through the forests to see natural diversity. The students would directly planting trees and would be an amazing experience for the young generations,” Conservation Lead Wilmar Indonesia, Surya Purnama said through the official information to InfoSAWIT, Thursday (25/8/2022).
The programs should develop the love and attention to the nature and environment. The company also planned to get the same project in other companies. “We are committed to actively do the sustainable business, such as, making environmental education program,” Surya said.
Sekolah alam also has many activity in environment education, such as, delivering knowledge about forests, flora-fauna, waste management, the danger of fire, and planting trees. The trees to plant are from Central Kalimantan, such as, Belangeran (Shorea balangeran), Pelawan (Tristaniopsis merguensis), Ubar (Syzygium sp.), Sangeh (Elaeocarpus sp.), Marsihung (Litsea angulata), and Jangkang (Xylopia malayana).
The choice of the local trees to plant is about to introduce the trees that grow in the forests of Kalimantan which are in danger by the forest damage. The planting of the tress is the regular activity since the company operated in 2011. Until now 138.102 trees have been planted in the region.
Senior Conservation Officer Wilmar in Central Kalimantan, Forendadi said, the company now has had more than 28.400 trees to plant that the company developed. This is about to recover the river sides, degraded forests, and the former areas where the people used to mine. “By the planting of the trees, the wild in our conservation areas could live well too,” Forendadi said.
Until now there have been 326 students joining Sekolah Alam. They are from SDS Bina Bangsa 06, SDN 1 Tangar, SDS Pantap, SDN Kapuk, MIS Nurul Iman Tangar, and SMP Bina Bangsa 03. On 13 – 14 August, Gugus VI Habaring Hurung Sub district of Mentaya Hulu did camp with the theme ‘Lingkungan Hidup di Hutan Edukasi PT Mentaya Sawit Mas’.
The coordinator of the scout of SDS Bina Bangsa 06, M Syafiudin said, the activity would be very good for the students to introduce and love the environment, forests,a dn every flora-fauna in it.
“The camp would unite every student with the nature and they could learn to love and maintain the nature to be environmental. I hope this activity would continue in the next years,” Syaifudin said. (T2)
